New concepts developed on the basis of great classics to offer a whole new experience.
Christophe Vicente-FolchChefPâtissier
When did you know you were going to go into pastry-making?
My father is a chef and he's always inspired me. Around the age of 12, I enrolled in a pastillage (sugar art) class, and to support my desire to go into pastry-making, I did my3rd grade internship with an association promoting the food arts (APAA). This internship confirmed my desire to go down this career path.
Why join a food flavorings company?
After working for such famous names as Lenôtre, Potel et Chabot and Ladurée, I wanted to discover another world, that of the aromatic. This environment allowed me to express my creativity in a way that focused more on taste than aesthetics. I immediately fell in love with the world of aromas! I've been working in this field for 18 years now.
Do you have a professional specialty?
I've got a CAP-BEP and a Bac pro Pâtisserie with a chocolate-glazing-confectionery option, but the field that's closest to my heart and where my creativity expresses itself the most is the world of chocolaterie. Unlike other segments, chocolate-making allows you to combine textures (creamy, crunchy, sparkling, etc.), flavors and tastes. I'm very inspired by chocolate: the sensation in the mouth when it melts, the transformation of tastes, allows me to innovate in terms of taste balance. Among other things, chocolate helps to protect the inclusions from any moisture, enabling better preservation and greater creativity.
What inspires you when you create a recipe?
I like to observe the work of international chefs, their flavor combinations and the discovery of new ingredients. I try to identify their aromatic components in order to find delicious new combinations that appeal to everyone. When putting together a dessert or a chocolate or ice cream creation, I also think about the combination of textures to create a new sensation.
What's your favorite ingredient?
As previously mentioned, I'm very sensitive to the texture of my creations, so I like to incorporate inclusions such as feuilletine flakes into a praline. I'm also particularly fond of contrasting flavors, and add a hint of Guérande salt to bitter dark chocolate, to trigger a unique, highly addictive mouthfeel!
For me, one of the ingredients that goes best with desserts (after vanilla, of course) is tonka bean, with its warm caramel-vanilla-coconut notes. One of the best associations for me is tonka with blond chocolate, with a hint of fleur de sel! In my latest "Astrology & Chocolate" collection, I call it "Willy Tonka"!
One of Prova's specialties is "extracts on cocoa butter". I like to use this solution because it's easy to use and gives a lower aromatic volatility and a more intense, authentic taste (it can be added at the very end of the process). This extract can also be used to encapsulate sparkling sugar and caramel inclusions, which are then used in ice creams, yoghurts, etc...
Why this collection based on naturalness and sustainability?
With this collection, we wanted to combine the useful with the pleasurable, and I'm particularly proud to be able to inspire the industry with more sustainable and equitable ideas. I've worked on details that can make a difference. My favorite creation from the new collection is a chocolate capsule imitating the shape of a coffee capsule, and filled with RA-certified coffee extract. The idea behind this concept was to eliminate this everyday waste. What could be useful in everyday life? And how to translate this idea into chocolate. This chocolate is intended to be incorporated into a hot beverage (based on water, milk, vegetable beverage ...) and thus reconstitute a beverage gourmande without generating packaging waste.
I've always been very committed to the environment, on a daily basis. So my involvement in this collection was particularly strong and memorable for me. I hope it will inspire small or big changes.
What is your proudest creation?
It's a trompe l'oeil, a nut made of blond chocolate, incorporating a natural flavor of honey, and on which I've placed a walnut kernel. I'm very fond of the association between honey and walnuts, whether in a salad or a dessert. The idea of combining the visual with this flavor association makes for a very gourmet bite!
I'd also like to mention my latest creation, part of the new Naturalité et Durabilité collection, the "Macadwich". It's an organic ice cream , flavored with our flavor organic coconut, between two macaroon shells, flavored with our organic cocoa extract. I imagined this creation to be eaten in summer by the beach, lost in the alleys of a city, or on a winter's evening with the family. All in all, it's a delicious treat that won't get your fingers dirty! This creation can be endlessly adapted by inserting textures such as mochi, meringue, etc. into the heart of the macaron, or by combining different flavors such as rum or white chocolate.
or white chocolate!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
